


Reshuffling the Deck

by ADeadDiehard



Category: Persona 3, Persona Series
Genre: F/F, F/M, Gen, Reunions, Self-Worth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-28
Updated: 2019-12-04
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:40:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 18,491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21598564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ADeadDiehard/pseuds/ADeadDiehard
Summary: In the wake of the Red Fog Incident, Makoto Yuki is back in the world of the living. With only a select few aware of his return, mankind’s saviour now has to decide what to make of his new lease on life, and if old ghosts should be left to rest.
Relationships: Takeba Yukari/Yuuki Makoto
Comments: 17
Kudos: 43





	1. Fool - Awakening

Yukari was the first to awaken in the Inaba ward. The slow, steady rise and fall of her head had woken her up to notice the light of the rising sun peeking through the blinds of the window behind her. As for her pillow for the night, the young woman struggled with another surge of disbelief at what she saw before her.

Makoto Yuki, her lost love. Now alive and breathing within arms reach.

A strained yawn past the foot of the bed shook Yukari free to notice the rest of her companions beginning to stir.

“Guhh...” Junpei wheezed, stretching as much as he could without getting out of his chair. “What time is it?”

As if on cue, Aigis, curled up against the wall, twitched as she came out of standby.

“It is approximately 0740 hours, Japan Standard Time, rounded down,” she informed Junpei as she smoothly rose to her feet. “A rather early rise, considering the night's events.”

Koromaru barked in agreement, hidden from the hospital's staff under Mitsuru's discarded fur coat. The dog's muffled noises still managing to wake up Ken, who had apparently tried to huddle himself against the wall like Aigis and ended up tipping over in the night.

“Hey, uh... you doin' alright, Akihiko-senpai?” Junpei leaned around Ken and Aigis to see the scarred man hadn't moved an inch in his sleep. “You're not looking so good. Any trouble sleeping?”

Akihiko answered only with a stoic grunt, his eyes locked on the bed in front of him. “It's nothing,” he threw in as a concession. He didn't sound angry, dismissive, or even annoyed. The best anyone could tell was that his thoughts were elsewhere.

The only person who could have truly realized how uncharacteristic that behaviour was for him was laying in the bed across from him, still unconscious.

Mitsuru Kirijo, the iron-willed founder of the Shadow Operatives, laying in the same condition as a man who had been two years dead. She had almost been done in by her own Shadow and, with both Akihiko's attempts to save and heal her having failed miserably, the way the boxer had spent the past few years of his life wasn't looking too worthwhile.

As for Mitsuru herself, her own awakening was as stoic as she usually presented herself. Casually opening her eyes without a hint of effort or fatigue. Sometimes, even her closest friends were uncertain as to whether it was a constant façade or she was just that strong.

Mitsuru's vision came into focus to see Akihiko at the foot of her bed, whose normally calm demeanour was visibly darkened by fear and even a touch of guilt.

“Good morning...” Mitsuru said finally, if only in the hopes that something so casual would take the weight off her friend's mind.

Whether she was successful or not fell to the wayside with an affirmative “Mmm...” from the bed next to her.

Yukari bolted to her feet. The young woman hovered over Makoto as he began to stir, the situation bringing back memories of when she had first started to open up to him. More importantly, his slightest movement drove her memories of the sorrow and grief she felt when she had last seen him out of her mind. As Makoto looked over to her, however, Yukari couldn't shake the concern that something might have gone wrong.

“Makoto..?” She asked barely above a whisper, worried that if she said his name too loud, he would vanish like a waking dream.

The instant she saw a spark of recognition in his eyes, she lunged at him. Whatever drowsiness that was left was knocked out of Makoto once his girlfriend (two-year separation notwithstanding) buried herself into his chest, joyfully crying as she clenched the hospital gown he only just found himself wearing.

“Hey, come on, Yuka-tan!” Junpei broke the weepy silence as he approached the bed with the rest of his teammates. “You don't wanna welcome him back like that.”

Yukari let loose a sniff as she pulled her chair back under her, trying to gain some composure.

“Y-you're one to talk...” she managed to say as she tried to discretely wipe her eyes.

Rather than let the silence continue, Aigis stepped in, even if she was having her own troubles staying calm.

“It is...” she started “... good to have you back, Makoto-kun.”

“Yeah, man.” Junpei cut in. “Sorry about the wait.”

Before Ken could come up with something to say, Mitsuru intervened.

“Let's try to give him some space. You've undoubtably been through a lot, haven't you, Yuki?”

Makoto said nothing, looking around the sterile white room at each of the occupants before his vision finally settled on Yukari.

“... What happened?”

The Shadow Operatives looked at each other to try and figure out what he meant. Makoto tried again.

“How did I get here?”

There was little relief to be found in the clarification. SEES' former team leader sounded lost, maybe even a little betrayed.

“Well, it's a long story...” Yukari began awkwardly. “You see...”

“You were replaced as the Great Seal.” Aigis explained, realizing slightly too late that she should have tried to phrase it better. “My sister was kidnapped by a malevolent entity, Nyarlathotep, with the aid of someone with the same power as yours. We later discovered he was trying to use Erebus to break through...”

She paused.

“... _you_ and begin The Fall. Elizabeth-san forced him to take your place, which stopped Nyarlathotep's plans.”

“Still...” Junpei cut in “You had us worried for a sec. You looked so still, we thought you weren't gonna wake up.”

“Again.” Akihiko grunted, feeling compelled to at least try and be part of the conversation.

“Thank you, Akihiko.” Mitsuru gave a small nod to her friend for his effort, if only to spare his feelings, before turning back to her roommate.

“Does that clarify things?”

The rest turned to Makoto in anticipation, watching him slowly process the story in his head. After about a minute of awkward silence, he spoke again.

“... Your sister?”

Aigis perked up with pride.

“Yes. She's out at the moment.” The blonde looked over her shoulder to the giant axe propped up against the wall. “It turns out I am not the last of the Anti-Shadow Weapons after all.”

Makoto indulged Aigis with a small smile before moving on to his next question.

“Where are we?”

“Inaba.” Ken spoke up, Makoto's eyes noticeably widening in surprise as he took in the kid's growth spurt. “It's a small town out in the country. Why Mitsuru-san and the others were drawn here of all places is anyone's guess...”

Mitsuru's teeth clenched as she sat up in her bed. “While we don't know for sure, it's almost certainly tied to Narukami and his friends.”

Yukari nodded in agreement before explaining things further, not noticing that the look on Makoto's face, for reasons unknown even to him, held more recognition than it probably should have. “There's another group of Persona-users here. It turns out they had problems like we did.”

Mitsuru pondered for only a moment if Persona users could have ever awakened in a peaceful setting.

Makoto, on the other hand, continued to stay silent, avoiding eye contact with his friends.

Yukari was starting to worry. Makoto had been asking questions, but it didn't feel to her like the man she fell in love with was in the same room. His questions had seemed less like curiosity and more like someone asking for directions.

“Makoto...” she timidly asked as she took his hand. “Are you okay?”

An awkward stillness permeated the room's atmosphere. For the past two years, 'Makoto Yuki' had been nothing more than an idea, a static concept, maybe even an ideal. But now that he was in front of them, in the flesh, a living, breathing human being, the fact that what he thought about the situation hadn't been considered by a single one of them was starting to sink in.

“I'm fine,” He said with a tone that failed to convince anyone. “It just feels... strange.”

He tightened his hand around Yukari's own.

“Ah, you guys're worrying too much!” Junpei shrugged as he made his way toward the exit. “He'll be back to his old self in no time. Now if ya don't mind, I gotta give Chidori a call before she gets too worried.”

Junpei's convenient exit only resulted in a bit more space and an awkward silence.

“Bark!”

Koromaru emerged from Mitsuru's coat, with Makoto recognizing that the dog was wearing Ken's old sweatshirt.

The blue-haired man felt just a bit older and more out-of-touch.

“Koromaru-san wishes to explore the town,” Aigis translated. “He is confident he can evade the staff on his way out.”

Whether intentional or not, Ken decided to take his partner's exit as a hint and followed suit with only a polite nod to Makoto as he left.

“Yamagishi.” Mitsuru rasped before adjusting her sitting position. “Please contact Kikuno and tell her to have a chopper ready.”

The navigator was taken aback by their leader's haste.

“Are you sure, Mitsuru-senpai? Your injury-”

“Can be better dealt with at a Kirijo facility...” Mitsuru tried to raise a dismissive hand before sighing in resignation. “Though, before you make the call... it would probably be best to find Labrys.”

Akihiko allowed himself a small smile at his friend's ever-surprising soft spot. Unfortunately for the protective boxer, Mitsuru seemed to have noticed.

“And please take Akihiko with you,” she added as Fuuka made her way to the door. “The country air may do you both some good while it isn't saturated with fog.”

Her attempt at humour appeared to be enough to convince Akihiko to leave his station at the foot of her bed. The white-haired man only exchanged a small nod with Makoto before taking his leave, with only Aigis and Yukari left out of bed.

The two spent a few moments at a loss for what to say or do before Yukari turned to Aigis.

“Hey, Aigis...” she paused. “Your power, is it still..? I mean...”

“It hasn't changed.” The pair worried about discussing Makoto like he wasn't there, but the man wasn't exactly meeting them halfway.

“Makoto,” Yukari asked. “Do you feel your Persona? Anything?”

His eyes shifted downward, either in sorrow or contemplation, before shaking his head.

“... No.” His voice now had the unwelcome spice of anxiety, accompanied by his breathing beginning to speed up. “Tell me what happened. All of it.”

The three women looked at each other before turning on Makoto, not ready for the recount of SEES' lowest moment.

“It was... March 31st...”


	2. Empress - Accursed Guilt

Makoto had spent the past few minutes only slightly lucid. The events that had been told to him about the Abyss of Time were a bitter pill to swallow. The emotional distress his sudden death had caused, the importance that had been placed on his evoker as a memento only making things worse, culminating in the people who mattered the most to him being so desperate for a solution as to fight each other to the death.

Makoto wasn’t sure which feeling was worse, the disappointment with how his death was received, or his shameful lack of surprise at the result.

Yukari and Aigis had been shooed out of his and Mitsuru’s room by the morning nurse. Mitsuru had chosen not to intervene due to either her tired state or the Kirijo group’s influence not reaching as far as the country town they had found themselves in. The nurse herself had come and gone, leaving Makoto and the Shadow Operative leader alone in awkward silence.

“... I’m sorry.” Mitsuru broke the silence. Makoto finally turned his head to see the injured woman.

“Hm?” He almost grunted.

“This must be so overwhelming for you,” she continued. “We jumped at the chance to bring you back, yet we spared little thought as to how it might affect you.”

The young man gave a small nod, thinking back to his once-final moments on the school roof. The strain he put himself under to stay conscious for as long as possible eating away at him, dulled by Aigis’ reassurance to him and the certainty that the others were coming. He remembered the footsteps he heard as the last bit of consciousness slipped from him, Aigis’ face hiding such pain behind her smile he could have sworn he saw her shed tears.

Only for his next sensation to be numb coldness, followed by a push that felt to him like a ship cast adrift.

Then the next push came, and he felt complete stillness in the vast ocean of his mind. Even that only lasted for a moment before the sun descended towards him.

Just before it reached him, he could finally hear it.

_“_ _Please!”_

_“Please just wake up!”_

It seemed like his short moment awake in Yukari’s arms had been more of a dream than anything his past two years had entailed.

Makoto allowed himself a sigh, his eyes back to being tiredly downcast. A far cry from the quiet intensity SEES’ former point man showed in his prime.

“It's weird,” he said finally. “Ever since Ryoji told me what would happen, I knew I'd…” He trailed off, Mitsuru giving a small nod in understanding. “But now that I'm back…” he continued. “I don't know where to go from here.”

“I see...” Mitsuru in turn looked away from her friend. The sight of the injured woman in poor spirits struck a self-conscious cord with Makoto.

“Don't blame yourself.” He reassured her, his tone making it clear where he thought the blame was better off. “You guys did what you felt was right. If anything, this is me paying for the mess I left.”

Whatever Mitsuru had to say was interrupted by a growing rumble that could be heard from outside the building, the chop of helicopter blades getting more and more distinct.

“That was sooner than I expected...” Mitsuru mumbled to herself. “There must be something urgent to deal with.”

Makoto didn’t have the time to work up the will to ask before an indigo-haired woman in a maid uniform strode into the room carrying a briefcase.

“Mitsuru-san!” She was already halfway across the room before she showed any concern for the occupant of the far bed. “I apologize for my tardiness. If I had known ahead of time, you would have woken up in a Kirijo facility.”

“It was my decision, Kikuno.” Mitsuru waved her maid off, the name triggering only the slightest feeling of recollection in Makoto. “I trust you have official business for me in the meantime?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Kikuno bowed before presenting the briefcase. The steel case was snapped open, with Mitsuru barely pausing to examine the contents before reaching in and pulling out a folder. “Operative Yamanoi has returned from assignment. He claims there was no incident, but the local police are demanding reparations for ‘interference’... again.”

If Mitsuru was listening, she didn’t show it as she read the contents of the folder. Kikuno continued.

“Public Safety has once again issued a request for interrogations of key Operatives, they retracted the request after we made four consecutive offers that happened to not include Aigis.”

“Well done.” Mitsuru continued to scan the documents.

“Ergo Research’s remaining personnel have been found and our Operatives await further instruction.”

Seeing her from the back, Makoto couldn’t see the maid’s gaze shift to the side only slightly.

“Also, I’ve taken the liberty of arranging some personal time for the sake of your hea-”

“No need.” Mitsuru dismissed the plan with all the uncompromising cold that came with her reserved look. “There’s still too much that needs to be done to allow for any distractions.”

Kikuno didn’t comment, only stoically handing a pen to Mitsuru’s outstretched hand.

Watching the scene unfold, all Makoto could see was his friend stretching herself thin. Even with the maid largely blocking his field of vision, Mitsuru’s tone took him back to the SEES days. How unflappable, even invincible, she sounded.

And how apparent that façade was to him after her father was murdered.

“In that case, shall I have a bed prepared back at headquarters for your arrival, Mitsuru-san?”

“There’s no need for that,” Mitsuru shook her head, returning the folder to the briefcase before shifting her body to the side of the bed. “I’m in well enough condition to-”

Kikuno’s catlike reflexes caught Mitsuru the instant her body decided to give out. The Operative leader could only cringe at the sign of weakness, while her maid didn’t dare comment.

“Don’t push yourself too hard.”

Mitsuru’s eyes went wide, like she had just heard the voice of her beloved father. Makoto’s offhanded comment felt like someone tugging at the hairs on her neck. The one whose loss had inspired her to form the Shadow Operatives, whose death was seen by her as yet another of the countless symptoms of the Kirijo Group’s meddling, whom she owed a personal debt to for helping her decide her own future...

The man had contradicted the memory yet again.

Had she really spent the last two years working herself to death just to honour a shadow? If she had never met Makoto again, would she have felt the satisfaction she needed if her work had claimed her?

Her worries apparently weren’t lost on Makoto.

“Don’t get me wrong...” he shifted himself upright in his own bed. “You're just as driven as I remember. You just need someone to make sure you don't get carried away...”

Makoto let out a long sigh, like trying to blow out the pit in his stomach. “Guess I didn't really get that I was that guy for a lot of you...”

The Kirijo executive paused for a moment before turning back to her maid.

“Kikuno, if you could give us a moment alone..?”

Kikuno bowed before exiting, shutting the door behind her. Mitsuru waited until she could no longer hear her assistant’s footsteps

“I suppose you are right, to a certain extent.” She did her best to hide how discouraged she was behind her natural mask. “The impression you had left on each of our lives had made your loss all the harder for us to cope with. We each resolved to pay homage to you in our own ways, but... I suppose even that can become misguided.”

“... Like Akihiko-senpai?” Makoto shifted focus if only to give Mitsuru’s own spirit a reprieve. The small chuckle she gave helped ground his own troubled soul.

“He is nothing if not dedicated...” her face fell “though he seems to be facing his own crisis.”

“You two go well together.” Makoto nodded before noticing the trace of red in his friend’s face. “He keeps you grounded, you keep him focussed. That’s how it was even before I came along, right?”

“That is true.” Mitsuru said. “But Yuki, while your death may have contributed to some of us parting ways, it doesn’t-”

“I know.” Anyone less passive would have snapped defensively, but Makoto kept the same even tone. “There’s regrets, but it’s obvious you’ve all done good for yourselves.”

“It’s not just us.” Mitsuru latched onto the opportunity to encourage her friend in any way. “I have kept tabs on your friends and associates, and they-”

Makoto raised his hand for her to stop. An action that would have given pretty much any other man a harsh reprisal.

“I...” The blue haired boy’s legs seemed to protectively curl ever so slightly under the blanket. “I’m not sure I should know.”

Mitsuru lay back in her bed as the reality of the situation began to unravel in her mind, all the what-ifs and nightmare scenarios that could arise from her peculiar roommate.

“You’re right.” She eventually conceded. “The potential consequences of you involving yourself in their lives again would be difficult to predict.”

“Yeah...” Makoto barely nodded. “Opening old wounds.”

“That said...” Mitsuru mumbled to herself “given recent events, is it even a wound anymore, or merely phantom pain?”

Makoto choked. “I...”

Mitsuru tried to keep her hand from snapping to her mouth, realizing what she had just said out loud. “Apologies, I don’t want to pressure you onto a path you do not wish to take.”

Her friend didn’t say anything.

With an awkward silence permeating the room and Kikuno apparently in no hurry to return and break it for either of them, Mitsuru was taken back to the same stillness that had infested the days leading up to the Abyss of Time. Everyone tiptoeing around each other, all feelings deemed too sensitive to share, let alone work out...

It almost destroyed some of them. Yukari most of all, who had made the strongest attempt to distance herself from the whole mess.

 _What a pair they make..._ Mitsuru thought before making her move.

“Yuki… Makoto, if – for whatever reason – you feel it would be best to not return to your old life, I will do everything in my power to help you start over.”

“My old life…”

Makoto took a moment to consider his options. Despite all he had accomplished and fought against in his time with SEES, the prospect of further life scared him. What would he do with the life he had forfeit? What would happen if word of his return got out? Was it even a matter of ‘if’ and not ‘when’?

And yet, the idea for him to just throw away his second shot at life didn’t even cross his mind. Why should it? His friends had clearly worried for years over how to best honour him. Rejecting, dismantling, even _undermining_ this miracle they had managed would have been an almost unfathomable insult.

“Thanks, Mitsuru.” He said finally. “I'll think about it.”

Mitsuru nodded, accepting his answer. As non-committal as it was.

“I’m sure that’s all any of us ask of you. Though I ask, please do tell us when your mind is made up.”

Makoto nodded, the evaporated tension letting Mitsuru crack a smile.

“Whatever you decide, your coroner is now out of the picture.”

Makoto laughed, even if he wasn’t sure why.


	3. Lovers - Twine Once Torn

“...”

“...”

“...”

“... Nice suit.”

Yukari sighed. She had gotten enough glances while exploring Inaba with Aigis, with only a few passers-by generous enough to assume they had taken the wrong train from a convention.

But that awkwardness paled in comparison to the situation in the Inaba ward. There wasn’t any drowsiness to make the stolen glimpses at each other seem more romantic. Now the two had nothing but each other to interact with, Mitsuru’s chopper would be a while before returning to take them back to the city, and the question that hung over the whole room was...

_Where do I even start..?_

At least Makoto’s comment did something to get the ball rolling.

“Y-yeah...” Yukari didn’t notice the faint red glow in her face. “Mitsuru-senpai made it for me.”

“... She has the Shadow Operatives dressed as Feathermen?”

She laughed at that.

“No! She just had it made that way for me cause I was used to it from work.”

Makoto’s interest was piqued.

“I’m uh... Feather Pink.”

The little wheels in Makoto’s head took a few long seconds to spin before

“... Can I get your autograph?”

“Sure,” Yukari laughed “it usually costs ¥3000 for one, but for you...”

“Don’t worry about me, I’ve got...” He trailed off with a realization.

 _I had plenty sitting in my account, but can I just reclaim it?_ _Should I reclaim anything?_

“... Makoto?”

Perhaps latching onto the sense of identity he had as SEES leader, Makoto tried to work out a solution to this dilemma in his head. What would the best course of action be? How would he go about doing it? What would the consequences be? How would those close to him be affected by it?

Makoto had entered SEES largely uncaring about people specifically and existence in general, and yet by the end of it, he was willing to lay down his life for people he had known for a few months. The boy didn’t hold his own existence in much value when he had arrived in Iwatodai, but the trust, friendship, and even love others had put into him had helped him to realize his own worth, which in turn gave him the will to sacrifice the life he had grown to cherish.

And now here he was, trying to determine which he was more interested in: The people he had grown close to getting back their friend, or reconnecting with _his_ friends to help validate his own existence once more.

Though reconnecting seemed like the only fair decision, the question as to whether his reasoning for it was valid or not held him back with a strength more binding than any chain.

“I’ve got... no idea what to do, Yukari.” He said finally.

“... What do you mean?” A monster in Yukari’s mind worried that this conversation would end with him walking out the door and vanishing from her life for good.

“I mean... I don’t know if I should let people know about me. But if I don’t, I’d just be leaving them in the dark...”

Yukari’s mouth twitched to answer before her mind sealed it shut again.

 _Oh sure, Takeba. Like you’ve got any right to give advice after what you did. People die all the time, and you turned_ _just one_ _into a nightmare for everyone. How can you give advice for when the opposite happens..?_

“I... I can’t tell you what to do.” Yukari hung her head. Makoto saw shame in her face, worried that his self-pity had only made her depressed.

“I’m sorry-”

“No,” she cut him off. “I know what it’s like to put something like this off. After you were gone I tried to push the whole thing out of my life. Staying away from the dorm, not talking to anyone, any way to keep myself from reliving the time we spent together.”

Makoto could only watch and worry as she went on.

“And then...” she swallowed “... when I thought I had a way to see you again, I lost sight of everything else. I just...”

Yukari shook her head with a bitter resignation. “... went crazy. But then I found out what you really did and...” she took hold of Makoto’s hand “... I was finally okay with everything. It was sad, but at least I understood.”

Yukari’s story had Makoto’s mind in a spiral. Did this mean it was best for him to be straightforward with all his friends? Let them know everything that had happened, no matter the consequences?

Or did it mean that dredging up those old ghosts would just open old wounds?

“Hey...” Yukari’s words brought him back to the here and now.

“If you want, I can get a hold of some of the people from Gekkoukan...”

Makoto shook his head.

“Thanks, Yukari. But...”

 _‘This is something I have to do myself’?_ Makoto’s own cynic silently mocked him. _That kind of thinking is what got you into this mess._

“... I’m still not sure if I should even try...”

Yukari nodded, holding back the sorrow of what should have been one of the happiest moments of her life being marred by all this angst and uncertainty.

And the fear that this was somehow once again her fault.


	4. Chariot - Your Future Awaits

The spring breeze was only a slight relief to the warm weather on the Iwatodai waterfront. Turning away from the view, Makoto took in a deep breath of salty air, hoping it would clear away some mental cobwebs. The apartment Junpei had let him crash at was by no means uncomfortable, but it wasn't the ideal place for some alone time. The town had kept its familiar look and atmosphere while he was away, and his old home was exactly what he needed right now. Yukari understood, which was a small mercy considering what was troubling him. A whole week had passed since waking up in the Inaba ward, and he still wasn’t really sure whether or not he should make his return known outside of his inner circle. He'd been warned about being seen before he made his decision, but Makoto figured that everyone who knew him here had moved on.

_And why wouldn’t they?_

“Holy shit...”

He froze. It had been two years, but he still recognized that voice

“Makoto… is that you?” Expecting the worst, Makoto turned around to see a man a full head taller then him with short brown hair and an incredulous look on his face, only for it to scrunch with suspicion and a faint hint of betrayal. Makoto knew there was no hiding now, and gave a sheepish “Uhh… Hey, Kaz. Can we not do this here?”

Kaz's compliance was blunt and painful.

~

After setting down the two coffees at their table at the nearest cafe they could duck into, Makoto checked his nose again to make sure nothing was broken.

“Okay,” he said as he sat across from a glaring Kaz “that was fair.” The stronger man looked down at his cup before wordlessly taking a sip, seemingly placated.

“So…” Makoto awkwardly dragged out the lone syllable. “How's it been?”

Kaz's mouth formed a thin, unimpressed line.

“Oh, y'know. Nothing special...”

Sarcasm poisoned the otherwise harmlessly flippant tone Makoto remembered.

“Took the weekend off school to stop by home, check on my folks, catch up with the girl,” Makoto suppressed an amused grunt. _Well, at least_ _it hasn't all been doom and gloom_ _._

“Oh, and running into old friendsI haven't seen in two years,” Kaz continued. “Lookedway healthier than when I last saw him...”

Makoto took a solid _glug_ of his coffee, followed by a deep breath. “Yeah, about that...” “Nonono,” Kaz cut him off with a wave of his calloused hand. “I know what I saw at the wake. What, were you supposed to jump out of the casket and re-enact _Chiller_ like everyone expected Miracle Johnson to do?”

“... Miracle Johnson died..?” Makoto wasn’t prepared for that kind bad news.

Kaz scoffed. “I can't believe you! Yuko was in pieces for days!” _Yeah. And you didn't seem to take it much bette_ _r,_ Makoto thought.Though the mention of yet another friend provedthere was no way for this revelation to stay under wraps much longer. Worse, if he told Kaz the truth, there was next to no chance he would believe him, even less chance that each of his numerous friends would as well. The only way he'd have the choice of not losing any friends was the lesser of two evils;

_Bullshit._

“Funny story...” he said mirthfully, hoping for the best. “It turns out the guy in charge of cremation was better at the coroner's job than he was.” He worked through the tiny pit that formed in his stomach from his lie throwing an innocent man's credibility under the bus. _Hope nobody_ _looked_ _him up_ _..._

“You're shitting me.” The evaporating bitterness on his friend's face was all Makoto needed to keep going.

“Yeah,” he continued, calling on his latent charisma to work with his friend's disbelief. “Probably too close to lunch to try cutting a guy open.” The remark earned him a humoured grunt, the emotional highlight of the exchange so far, as he felt.

“So what did it in the first place?” A roulette wheel of options went off, finally settling on;

“Food poisoning, I heard.”

Kaz looked unconvinced, leading Makoto to make an appeal to ignorance.

“Hey, I didn't believe it either,” he said, throwing up his hands defensively. “I think it's just their best guess.”

Makoto's story seemed to be enough to satisfy his friend, but there was one important aspect that needed covering.

“That still leaves the part where they...” The confusion and awkwardness brought on by what Kaz was suggesting did nothing to help the less-than-eloquent man, finally setting on tapping the side of their table's pepper shaker with his finger. The ashen contents was more than enough to get the message across to Makoto.

“Where they 'scattered my sorrow to the heartless sea'?” the blue-haired youth joked. “I'm guessing they didn't want to get anyone's hopes up. Who knows, maybe that was someone's cat, the morgue's trash?”

Kaz gagged at the thought, “Even better it didn't blow in our faces then...” he said,washing out the foul taste with a gulp of his own coffee. “So how long've you been kicking around? Don't think you could've been around here for long before Kenji or Chihiro saw you and told me...”

Makoto tried counting for a moment before giving up and whipping out his cell phone. It was a borderline relic by modern standards, but he was never a technophile to begin with.

“About a week,” he answered. “Less if you don't count me getting caught up.”

“Really?” Kaz grumbled “Who got to know?”

Makoto took his friend’s defensiveness in stride, “Just myold dorm mates.They're who I was living with at the time, so I guess they made the short-list for contacts.” He sighed. “Honestly, I justwasn't sure I wanted anyone to know I'm back.”

Kaz gave him a questioning look. “You don't think we had a right to know?”

Makoto shook his head, “No, it's not that. I mean...” He wrapped his hands around his coffee, his fingers creaking against each other. “It's been two years. Why open old wounds?”

Kaz gave a thoughtful shrug before drinking his coffee down to halfway. “Could be worse.”

Makoto scoffed, “Yeah, how do you think that would go over? 'Hey, guess who's back from beyond the mortal coil? Hope you haven't moved on by now!'” His uncharacteristically snide outburst did nothing to phase his friend.

“Dude, _I_ saw you, by accident, no warning, and look where we are now.” Kaz motioned to the coffee shop around them, full of people just chatting like they were. Makoto gave a small smile at that point. Out of all the friends he had, Kaz was one of the, to put it simply, blunter ones.

_Still,_ _wouldn't want to have my nose go through that for each_ _of them_ _…_

“I'll think about it,” he said at last. “If nothing else, I think Yuko deserves to know if you do.” He took another sip. “Congratulations, by the way.”

Kaz sputtered before clearing his throat. “How'd you figure it out?” he brought his drink up to his mouth to hide his bashful expression.

“Cause you just told me.” Makoto smirked. “I've been crashing at Junpei's for now, but I didn't ask him for gossip.”

“Remind me to thank him...” Kaz snarked “I think…” Makoto casually put his cup to his lips before recoiling from the bitter dregs. “So what's your plan now?” Kaz asked as Makoto stirred some extra milk into his diminishing cup.

“Well, even if I make this comeback official, Gekkoukan won't start for a while. By then either things'll be back to normal, or I'll be long gone.”

“How gone?”

Makoto shrugged. “No idea. Maybe skip town, change my name…”

“What about Yukari-chan?” The taller man asked. “She tell you what she thinks?”

That idea gave Makoto pause. His girlfriend was one of the first people he saw when he woke up, but he still hadn't touched what she had felt in the intervening years with a ten-foot pole. What's more, she had a life and career of her own. Asking her to drop everything and disappear with him was out of the question, and asking her to live a lie, together or apart, was toowas cruel to her after everything he’d ended up putting her through.

“No,” he said finally. “She probably doesn't want me to worry, but...” he trailed off. Even taking everyone else out of the picture, Yukari proved that there was only one choice.

 _Guess that settles it,_ he sighed, though more out of relief than resignation.

He polished off the milky dregs before setting down a fistful of change onto the table. “Two years of interest doesn't amount to much,” he joked.

As the two exited the coffee shop, Makoto winced slightly at the sunlight slipping past the clouds to stab him in the eye.

 _No matter what happens_ _,_ _looks like_ _I need to get out more,_ he mentally groaned.

“Hey, Makoto,” Kaz called behind him. “Listen, don't take this the wrong way or anything. But...” he avoided Makoto's eyes. “Think you could give me your cell number again? No offence, but I didn't think I'd need it again, so...”

“Got it.” Makoto smiled and casually pulled out his phone. Kaz's own was noticeably smaller than Makoto's old model.

After the two shared numbers once again, there was nothing left for the friends to do but go their separate ways.

“For what it's worth,” Makoto said before they parted “thanks, Kaz. Things are looking clearer now.”

Kaz never completely understood what he meant, but he accepted his friend's thanks. “No problem, man. Now I just gotta break the news to Yuko.”

Makoto laughed as he turned away. “Call me when she wants proof.”

As he turned the corner, he pulled out his phone and flipped it open. More than half the numbers stored were tied to people completely ignorant of his status. Looking through them again, he knew he couldn't leave his friends in the dark. Even if their reunions didn't prove as successful as he was with Kaz, he had to at least try to reconnect them.

 _Shame I'll have to_ _stick with_ _that cover story_ _now_ _,_ he shrugged. As he dialed out Junpei's number for a lunch plan, he thought to the future ahead. There was still a rotting doubt in the back of his mind, that he would have been better off left as a tragic memory in his friends' pasts. Yet he knew there was far more good he could do among them, and not as scattered ashes in some fish's belly.

The dial tone was cut off by a click. _Best_ _get to work on this 'not being dead_ _anymore_ _' thing..._

“Junpei, it's me. Is Kenji still in the city?”


	5. Magician - Coming of Age, Gone By

“So what’s the occasion, Junpei?” Kenji asked the man sitting next to him. “You’re not exactly the type to ask another dude out of the blue.” Even with the uncertainty, he had given into sampling the noodles of his ramen bowl.

The morning Kenji had leading up to lunch had left his normally easygoing mind abuzz with speculation as to what the reason behind it was. Junpei was a friend, for sure, but the two hadn’t spent much one-on-one time together even back at Gekkoukan. They had comforted each other over the loss of a mutual friend, and graduated with the promise they’d stay in touch, but that ultimately never extended further than them parting with the exchange of contact info and connecting over social media.

So what changed..?

For him, it was the shock to his system that knocked him out of his childish pursuit of older women, and into the arms of a girl he was certain was the only person on Earth he had any real chance with. Junpei seemed to have gone through the same thing, only much earlier.

_Some kind of artist..?_

“Well... ya see... heheh...” Junpei stammered, trying to keep the wide grin on his face from showing any signs of unease.

In typical Junpei fashion, he failed terribly.

At least this time, it wasn’t entirely his fault.

Kenji heard the stool behind him shift as Junpei’s eyes bugged out.

“Hey guys.” a nonchalant voice accompanied the slight groan of the stool. “Hagakure bowl, please.”

Kenji thought he was seeing things, only for Junpei’s horrified groan to reveal the truth. He had just been set up for a shocker.

“Makoto, what the hell, man?”

“Sorry. People thought I was loitering. It was awkward.”

A multitude of things had been called into question in that moment:

How Makoto Yuki could be sitting next to him.

What had actually happened when he had heard he had died.

What he had seen at the funeral.

The shock to the system that had irrevocably changed him.

The idea that the past two years of his life had been based on a lie.

Why Junpei wasn’t surprised in the least by any of this.

He decided to throw all of those to the wind and go back to his ramen. If only to calm his nerves.

“You okay, man..?” Junpei asked. Makoto seemed to have taken his old friend’s lack of thought in stride and didn’t seem worried himself.

“Yeah. I’m good.” Kenji said through his noodles, showing only the slightest bit of terseness. “What’cha been up to, Makoto?”

“Coma.”

“Mm.” he slurped. “How’d that happen?”

“Food poisoning.” Makoto didn’t even miss a beat as he started on his own recently-arrived bowl. Allowing himself a smell of the aroma before shifting focus as he dug in. “So what’s new with you?”

The sandy-haired man didn’t give the all-too-easy explanation a second thought, while Makoto wasn’t willing to wonder if it was out of gullibility or indifference.

“Nothing too amazing. Quit the college job working at a beef bowl joint in Tokyo so I could get something more local to help out the girlfriend.”

That was unexpected.

“Girlfriend? You?”

Kenji laughed, realizing where his priorities were back when they were all together.

“Well yeah. I mean, fantasies are all well and good when you’re a kid, but that doesn’t work for long.”

Makoto smiled, with any worry of things turning sour behind him. “How do I know you didn’t just settle for some poor girl after your plan with Kanou-sensei blew up in your face?”

Kenji’s reaction to that bad memory was uncharacteristically subdued. Like being too lazy to swat at a mosquito.

“Hell no. Rio and I were always friends, but...” he almost choked for a moment. “I guess you helped me put things in perspective.”

“Real romantic. You sure you didn’t pick that up from Junpei?”

“Come on, man! Don’t drag me into this.”

“Full disclosure;” Kenji held up his hands. “I thought his girlfriend was made up.”

“Dude, I told you she’s not a people person!”

“That doesn’t make it more believable~...”

“... What if you’re both lying?” Makoto joked, only for his friends to bite back with a flat “Shut up.”

The back and forth went on for a good hour. The three caught up like any old friends, and for Kenji that’s exactly what it was, save for a morbid memory he dismissed before he gave it any further thought. Junpei was just relieved it all turned out without any drama.

And Makoto...

He felt a part of his soul being stitched back together. His sudden departure hadn’t broken his simple-minded friend’s spirit, but spurred him to do better. And the best part was he now had the opportunity to be part of his friend’s life again.

Makoto wasn’t nearly self-involved enough to realize just how much each one of his friends were bettered by his involvement, even now.

~

“I’m telling ya, man. She had it _bad_ for me!”

Junpei shook his head while Makoto was honestly surprised at the existence of such a girl. Rio Iwasaki had apparently been a member of Gekkoukan’s volleyball team, but he had never come across the girl himself. The fact that she had turned out to be a loving girlfriend to poor, desperate Kenji at least reassured Makoto that things hadn’t gone completely off the rails while he was gone.

“Just make sure the wait’s worth her while.” Makoto shrugged off his friend’s life story, only for Junpei to give a friendly scoff.

“Sure, dude. Maybe wait till you and Yuka-tan see each other again before you start givin’ love advice.”

“...”

Makoto suddenly appeared to be more interested in the bottom of his empty ramen bowl.

“Soo...” Kenji broke the silence. “You and Yukari-san are still a thing after the whole... coma... thing..?”

“I...” Makoto trailed off. Yukari had been quietly supportive of him for the past few days, but quiet all the same. With all the dilemmas that he’d had to deal with, discussing their relationship had fallen to the wayside.

“C’mon, man! Of course they are!” Junpei butted in to keep Makoto’s likely depressing thoughts to himself. “Heh, you shoulda seen her crying for hours... Too bad I never got a picture.”

Makoto gave a single chuckle, grateful for his friend’s save. “I’m sure Chidori appreciates you not having pictures of other girls in your phone.”

Kenji whistled, if only to keep himself from laughing. “You gotta watch yourself, man. These aren’t girls anymore, these are bona-fide women we’re talking about here!”

“... No wonder you like them now.”

“Oh, _come on_!”

“I’m just saying, if it doesn’t work out, Mitsuru-san’s got an army of maids. One of them has to be single...”

The mental image just about gave Kenji a heart attack. “Don’t do this to me, man. I only just met her parents!”

“Going once~...” Makoto smiled.

“Going twice..!”

There was a solid twenty seconds of tense restraint before his alleged friends slapped Kenji on the back.

“... I’m proud of you, Kenji.”

With lunch paid for, the trio continued their joking and ribbing all the way to the train station. No worries about the future, no secret double-life to talk around, the atmosphere was more free than even the Gekkoukan days.

As the three parted ways, with promises to meet again in the coming weeks, Makoto’s worry had been washed away by his determination to face the rest of his friends. This was more than setting things straight with them, more than even catching up. Now was about living as much as any man should.

“Best not keep them waiting...”


	6. Hermit - Memento: Tori

“Toriumi-san, could you help me with this?”

Without waiting for the chance to be denied, Ms. Terauchi set the unidentified stack of papers next to Isako Toriumi’s current workload. The supposedly far-too-busy Japanese teacher was out of the staff room before Toriumi could raise her head. The Composition teacher allowed herself a sigh before shuffling her lesson plan aside to take a look at the stack of student applications.

_Let’s see..._

Transfer students were nothing new to her. Indeed, Gekkoukan had earned some degree of infamy over the sheer volume of students that seemed to come and go at a school supposedly prestigious enough to be backed by the Kirijo Group.

_What was that one boy? Mochizuki-kun? Nobody seemed to know anything about him. It’s almost like he walked off the street._

She grumbled before dismissing the ideaas she looked to the first application form in the stack.

_Mari Suzuki_ _. Yes, her sister is already enrolled._ _The one with that walking carpet of a dog._

_Kaede Himura_ _. Good record. Transferring from Osaka._

_Sho_ _Yamasaki. Parents are donors._ She sighed.

_Takuya_ _Hayashi._

_Natalaya Simonova_

_Sora Fukui_ _._

_Makoto Yuki._

_Gyeong-Suk Chung._

_Goh Hamazaki_ _._

_..._

“What..?”

The familiar name was already buried under the two following applications. Toriumi was half convinced it was just her overworked mind playing tricks on her, yet there it was clear as day. That name hadn’t crossed her mind for years, she hadn’t wanted it to. No reason for her to start imagining it out of the blue.

_Get a hold of yourself_ _, Isako. It has to be a coincidence._ _That name’s so common, it’s probably a girl this time._

_Gender: M_

Toriumi’s tongue clicked in frustration before reading through the rest of the form.

_Date of Birth: 04-05-1992_

_Reason for Transfer: Extended absence due to health reasons._

She all-too-steadily set the file down before checking over her shoulder. This had to be some kind of prank, a conspiracy by Terauchi to make her look unhinged. The only question that came to mind at this point was why this was happening now. Had she slighted one of the staff? Did someone from the Kirijo group want her out of the picture? Had someone discovered something compromising about her?

_Especially involving him of all people_ _-_

_..._

_Oh._

_Ohhh no..._

This was it. Someone had uncovered the unwittingly dubious relationship she had had with the late Makoto Yuki, and not even his death had kept her safe from the consequences.

Admittedly, she had considered broaching the topic to him after their identities had been revealed to each other, but the funeral had buried that ridiculous idea several times over. The funk that he had rescued her from had turned out to be no bigger than those of the other attendees, and the thought of her pursuing a relationship back then made her screw her eyes shut in a toxic blend of disgust and embarrassment.

“Toriumi-sensei? Should I come back some other time?”

She took one look towards the visitor to see her worries be swept away.

“Oh, thank God!”

... and then took another look at the reality she was now face-to-face with.

“Oh, God...”

~

Toriumi carefully set down her cup after the first sip of tea. Or rather, the first sip after gulping her first scalding cup down. Her second try seemed to do all the work that was needed for her nerves, allowing her to raise her head to look at the mildly-concerned boy sitting across from her.

“So tell me, Yuki...” she said with a quiet sternness. “... What was your reasoning to come here after already submitting your application?”

“I... panicked.” Makoto sighed.

Toriumi pursed her lips. “About what?”

She said it with the tone of someone asking a child what they were specifically sorry for, but the fact that someone she had known to be dead for years was now sitting across from her had left her about as lost as any child.

Never mind the boy almost giving her a heart attack.

“I sent it in, then I figured it might get taken for a prank.”

“True.” Toriumi took some satisfaction in her tone making Makoto seem a fraction as uncomfortable as she currently was. “And why is that?”

“Because I’ve been keeping a low profile for the last few years...”

“I was under the impression you were about six feet lower than most.” She took another sip of tea. “Then again, I thought you weren’t the type to pull a prank like that.”

Makoto sighed.

“Do you want the long version or the short version?”

~

“I see.” Toriumi remained stoic, if only in the event of another teacher walking in on them. “I suppose I should thank you, Yuki-kun.”

“Hm?”

“Your story may have finally put me up to that diet I kept putting off.”

Makoto shrugged. “You look fine.”

Toriumi froze at the compliment. The embarrassment of their last meeting was suddenly a very real danger. But there was no point in dredging up something he likely forgot. She had to be subtle.

“Now, to be clear, you’ve been away for a fair amount of time.” She began to shuffle through his file mostly to help calm her nerves. “You had been declared dead on graduation day, so the staff were unsure whether to count you as graduated or not.” She stopped on the right page. “But if I’m correct, you want to enlist as a third year, correct?”

“That’s the plan,” Makoto said, ignorant to the suffocating atmosphere in his teacher’s head.

Toriumi cleared her throat. “In that case, I want to make sure that you’re as prepared as the rest of the third-years. Would you say your memory of your second year school life is intact?”

Makoto’s expression went flatter than normal. “More or less.”

Toriumi felt like she had missed an elaborate joke, but continued on.

“Let’s try some sample questions from your semester. The curriculum hasn’t changed, which makes things easier for all of us.”

Makoto simply nodded as Toriumi pulled out a stapled sample test from her drawer.

“Now, what do some Europeans call ‘devilfish’ and refuse to eat?”  
“Octopus.”

_That was fast._

“Who established the Kamakura shogunate?”

Makoto paused, his brain trying to dig up the historical trivia.

“Minamoto no... Masakado..?” he caught himself. “Morimoto.”

Toriumi nodded, slightly relieved that the boy was showing some fallibility, even if it was in the more tedious subject. She then placed the exam down for her own subject.

“What type of punctuation is used in the historical quote ‘I came, I saw, I conquered’ from Julius Caesar?”

She could see Makoto’s eyes widen, like he had suddenly been put under a spotlight.

“...”

“Makoto-kun..?”

“... Comma splice.”

She smiled. “Correct.”

“Now, Makoto-kun. There is something important concerning our last meeting that we should address...”

“... Dinner?”

The teacher would have been struck dead if she wan’t so infuriated by Makoto’s nonchalance about something she had tortured herself over for years. Her face red, she mustered as much authority as she could into her voice and leaned towards Makoto.

“I want to only have to say this once. It never happened.”

Makoto made his confusion visible before shrugging. “Sure, okay.”

Toriumi let out a frustrated noise before moving on.

“What I meant was our last _professional_ meeting. Career counselling?” She cooled off at the sight of Makoto visibly embarrassed by his own mix-up. “Now I am aware not much time may have passed for you, but given what you’ve experienced...”

“I might have finally decided on something?”

“... Yes.”

“College seems likely.”

“For anything specific?”

Makoto didn’t remember her being this invested during the original counselling session. He shrugged it off as her just doing her job.

“Still undecided.” He didn’t even shrug.

“Are there any career paths that look promising to you?”

His body deflated, either from the questioning or at his lack of direction being exposed.

“My friends say I’m good with people, but I don’t know. I don’t think I’d make a very good life coach. Everyone I’ve met has needed at least ten visits.”

“And yet they keep coming back. Sounds lucrative to me.”

Makoto took a moment to consider her take, then smiled to himself.

“Well, if it works...”


	7. Lovers (part 2) - To Understand Another

Makoto’s reintegration into normal life had been smooth sailing so far. First Kaz, then Kenji, leading up to Ms. Toriyumi yesterday. From the look of things, it seemed like the only obstacle to anyone getting on with their lives hadn’t been Makoto being in violation with the laws of mortality, but his own fear and anxiety.

That and the unfinished business named Yukari Takeba that was laying next to him.

Yukari had spent the past few weeks in the background while her boyfriend was reconnecting with his friends and acquaintances. After a fortnight crashing on Junpei’s couch, she had finally worked up the courage to ask him to move in with her.

Makoto accepting the offer so readily made it something of an anticlimax for the poor woman.

And yet, even after moving in, she had still kept a measure of distance from him. Something was still troubling her and, despite everything she had been through both alone and with him, Makoto was running out of distractions. Her very own Mister Perfect would have to bring up the problem that had invited him in.

And Makoto wasn’t about to relent when it came to someone he cared about so dearly.

“Hey, you alright?” He tried his best to not sound like he was probing, but his girlfriend was clever.

And more than a little defensive.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Even if she hadn’t said it a little too fast, it wouldn’t have fooled anyone.

“Yukari...”

She sighed. Makoto took it as an admission.

“Wanna talk about it?”

“No...” She pressed her head a bit further into the pillow before relenting. “But I probably should.”

“Mm...” Makoto nodded as Yukari pulled herself up. After about a minute of groggy struggling, she was sitting up, looking rather awkwardly at the foot of the bed.

“So...” Makoto began, “... the thing is I-”

“Did you know it was going to happen?” Yukari cut him off, the caustic bitterness already starting to show in her tone.

Even knowing that he would tell her the truth, Makoto hesitated. “Yeah...”

Neither of the pair looked at each other.

“Then why didn’t you tell any of us?” She was struggling to not immediately scream in his face. “Left a note? _Something_ so we had some idea of what happened?”

Makoto sighed. “Guess we’ve both got a problem with putting things off...”

Yukari felt herself smile just a little at the truth in that remark.

“I guess... I didn’t want to ruin things” he said. “If I told you when I first found out, you might have wasted time trying to find another way to beat Nyx.”

“Can’t argue with that...” Yukari admitted, shame apparent in her voice.

“If I’d told you closer to the time, you would have spent graduation day worrying about something you couldn’t fix.”

Yukari didn’t nod that time, but that didn’t make it any less true.

“And if I’d left a note...” Makoto sighed. “If I could have said the right thing, maybe things would have been easier for you.”

He could have sworn he heard her scoff. “Don’t talk to me about ‘maybe,’ Makoto.”

The sound of his name made him feel a foot shorter in Yukari’s presence.

“Me, Aigis, all of us had you to rely on. After my dad died, I didn’t trust anybody, not even my mom, then you came in and...” She stopped to keep herself from choking on even more tender memories. “You just disappeared. I finally had a rock and then you were just _gone_!”

Makoto had no idea what to say, which only caused the uncomfortable silence to drag on.

“Yukari, I-”

“Just shut up!” The hand Makoto had reached out with was suddenly pinned down and caught in an angry, desperate vice grip. “I _know_ you had a good reason for it! You had the _best_ reason! I _know_ I shouldn’t be mad at you for it and I _know_ I’m a horrible person because I am, and I _still_ can’t stop thinking about it!!”

Her blood at an anxious, icy boil, Yukari buried her face into her legs that had curled their way up over the course of her tense rant. Her attempts at deep breaths muffled through the blanket only made her sound hoarse.

In the face of that blowout, Makoto could only offer his reassurance and ignore the crushing pain in his wrist.

“... You’re not a bad person, Yukari.”

She smiled, but didn’t sound that convinced.

“Of course you’d say that. Perfect as always.”

“I don’t feel very perfect...” _Not when we have to have this conversation, anyway._

Yukari took hold of Makoto’s hand again, with the tenderness the couple deserved.

“... To me, you might as well be. Without you...”

...

“I almost accidentally destroyed the world trying to bring you back. I didn’t know that at the time, but...”

“But..?”

Her face showed signs of turning a more flattering red.

“Looking back, I might have been crazy enough to try it anyway.”

Makoto set his head on Yukari’s shoulder.

“... You put it that way, it almost sounds romantic.”

Yukari let out a single awkward laugh before resting on his head.

“Yeah...” she smiled. “ _Almost._ ”

The two lay in a somewhat peaceful silence before Makoto made sure to lay the issue to rest.

“I’m not going anywhere,” he said finally. “I promise.”

“Hm?” Yukari didn’t have to move her head to see Makoto’s expression. It wasn’t sullen or even tired like usual. Instead she saw the kind of determination that only shone through a few times in the SEES days.

“Ever since I came back, I've seen nothing but reminders of what I left behind. At first, I thought that it’d be best for everyone if I just let them move on without me.” He nodded to himself. “But now I know what to do...” he said pulling Yukari just a bit closer. “You fought to save me, and I'll pay you back for the rest of our lives.”

Stunned as she was, Yukari was rendered speechless by what followed. Their surroundings of the room seemed to fade from their vision, leaving them in a paradoxically visible void, a space that could only be perceived by the two hearts intertwined.

The space was soon filled by a flash, then a familiar presence.

A Persona in the shape of a marble statue of a sullen man sat floating just above Makoto, its head looking up at some unknown judge.

 _Wait._ Yukari thought to herself. _Is that..?_

Her recognition was cut short when the Persona disintegrated into stardust, the shining motes hanging suspended in the air.

“I am thou... Thou art I.”

A new voice. A trace of Makoto’s could be heard, buried under the aura of certainty and experience that could only come from one’s immortal soul.

“Thou hast realized new potential.”

Then in an instant, the motes snapped back to each other, taking on a new shape.

The new Persona’s body was still that of a man, with both his arms and legs a sleek, robotic design with bands of armour plating interweaving like cloth. The head was just like Messiah, with the face now looking straight ahead, and the torso was very clearly in the image of a flesh and blood human.

“I am Osiris:” the new Persona spoke. “Reborn through devotion. May we walk this new path together.”

Having said his piece, Osiris vanished, with the room around Makoto coming back into focus.

Yukari tried to decipher the meaning behind what had just happened before looking over to Makoto, with a peaceful smile across his face.

“So does that mean..?” Yukari began, only to be interrupted by a loving kiss.

Makoto smirked. “Night.”

Without another word, the two slid into the most peaceful slumber either could have remembered.

...

“So...” he mumbled, his partner feeling his voice more than hearing it. “Are we still on for meeting your mom?”

“Sure...” she mumbled back, just before sleep took them. “Just gotta... know your... storryyyy~...”

Tomorrow brought with it another day, this time for the two in unison.


	8. Priestess – Back in Action

“Alright, that should be it.”

Makoto looked over his shoulder as Fuuka finished her work. The darkness of her workstation had prompted him to look out the window to not end up suffering from the same eyestrain she was plagued with.Her workstation was littered with components from electronics both new and old: From obsolete sticks of RAM, to stacks of both internal and external hard drives, to the fancy new smartphone Fuuka had just disconnected, all of them lit up by an almost charmingly outdated off-whitedesktop monitor.

Holding out the sleek, black device, Fuuka kept Makoto's clunkier, old phone with the rest of the doodads on her desk. The olddevice looked like a baby's toy in comparison, but Makoto had allowed his tech-savvy friend to keep it as payment for her services.

“There you go, Makoto-kun. Everything is the same as it was on the old one. It's like you never left.”

Makoto took the phone, sliding his thumb across the display as he tried to get used to the button-free controls.

“I had your time of death dismissed as a random hacker tampering with your information. Your online accounts are also back.” She brushed her braided ponytail over her shoulder. “You didn't have that many when you... well...”

Makoto nodded thankfully.

“To be fair, before I met you guys, I didn't really connect with people anyway.” He pressed the sleep button on the back of the phone as he slipped it into his pocket. The lack of heft was something Makoto knew he’d have to get used to before too long. “Besides, things are a lot more connected now than before.”

“You're probably right,” the smaller woman shrugged as she stretched herself out of her office chair. “If Yukari-chan had asked me to do this, it would probably have taken me all week.”

She rose to her feet as she rubbed her strained, red eyes.

“Oh, that reminds me! If she's alright with it, maybe we could go out to celebrate sometime this week?”

The phrasing of that suggestion made the gears in Makoto's head stick. The three of them were friends, but Yukari was still working through her habit of making jealous assumptions. Luckily, Fuuka was observant enough to notice Makoto's reaction.

“Oh, I meant her too! Just the four of us.”

Makoto's mind screeched to a halt.

“Four?”

Fuuka blushed at the realization she'd accidentally left him in the dark. The advances she'd made in her romantic life weren’t even a big secret, certainly not compared to the secret life she lead as part of SEES.

It still managed to make things awkward, though.

“Oops... I...”

“Well, congratulations!” Makoto warmly picked her up after she trailed off. “Who's the lucky guy? Do I know him, or..?”

Fuuka rubbed the back of her head as her vision drifted to the window. Her friend had just unwittingly added another layer of awkwardness to this revelation.

“You, um... know her.”

“Oh?” Makoto's eyebrows bumped up in surprise. Of all the developments he'd seen after his two year hiatus off the mortal coil, this wasn't something he had considered.

“My mistake,” he conceded. “Who's the lucky girl?”

If she tried to keep her sigh of relief a secret, Fuuka failed horribly. Truth be told, her and her lady-friend had their own moments of doubt when their friendship started to bleed into something further. The casual acceptance was a pretty natural response coming from Makoto, but for this subject, she felt it especially welcome.

“It's... Natsuki-chan. You remember her, right?”

Makoto was able to nod even as the string of surprises refused to let up. Natsuki Moriyama had made a poor first impression on him and the rest of SEES, being part of a trio of girls bullying Fuuka for reasons so petty he probably wouldn't have remembered them even if he knew. If things had stayed that way, she probably would have just faded into another unpleasant memory, right next to Makoto's being indisposed for two years.

And yet, circumstances had them grow to become friends. Whether it was a sudden change of heart, or her getting cold feet after one of their plans went too far, Makoto didn't know and didn’t particularly care. All he had to go on were the glimpses he'd get on the rare occasion they crossed paths.

She looked like a rebel, her bright brown hair messily tied up in a way that made her seem like a living metaphor for a middle finger to 'the man'. The fact that she'd gotten involved with Fuuka – who, back in the day, some went as far as calling a “doormat” – made Makoto wonder just what she looked like now. The amusing image of a punk like her coming home to a demure Fuuka dressed like a librarian came to mind, only for Makoto to dismiss the idea before it got too saucy.

“Yeah... Yeah, I remember her. But I have to ask. Where did that come from?”

Fuuka, fidgeting ever so slightly, looked up at her brain as if asking it for the answer.

“About... a year ago?” Her gaze returned to normal. “Right. After we graduated, she suggested we go out to celebrate, and...” she shrugged. “... one thing led to another. To be honest, I'm a little surprised myself, sometimes.”

“Huh. Well, I'm happy for the both of you. I just hope she deserves you.”

“I think you'll be surprised. So does that mean this week is okay?”

“Hmm...”

Pulling out his new phone, Makoto opened up the note app, making a few swipes before finally nodding to himself.

“Sure. But if it's all the same to you, I'd rather she doesn't find out about me before the rest of my friends do.”

Now it was Fuuka's turn to be surprised.

“Still? I mean... I understand, but it's been two whole months.”

“What? It's a really delicate matter. Besides, I've only got two left.”

“Are they anyone I know? I barely see anyone from school anymore, but if I accidentally mention you to the wrong person...”

Makoto shook his head.

“Don't worry about it. You don't know the first one, and the second one's Bebe.”

Fuuka found herself at a loss before her memory found something.

“Oh, right. That transfer student. I suppose that's fair.”

“Yeah, I know we're probably not gonna meet again in person, but that's no reason to keep him in the dark.”

“I understand.” Fuuka nodded. “If the same thing had happened to me, I know I would have at least tried.”

Makoto and Fuuka stood there for a moment in silent agreement, before an aside glance at her inactive monitor earned Makoto a blazing reflection of the setting sun to his eyes.

“Gah...” Makoto shielded his eyes before carefully working his way to the blinds. “Is it that late already?”

Fuuka got the same sensation once the taller man had stopped unwittingly shielding her from the sun directly.

“Well, I guess that's as good a sign as any to call it a day.”

“Sorry for taking up so much time, and thanks again.”

“Don't worry, Makoto-kun. Just talk to who you have to soon. I really don’t want to keep Natsuki-chan in the dark.”

“I swear, I'll get on to it first thing tomorrow.”


	9. Tower – Provide Ends

Mutatsu had never paid much conscious attention to his health. The seventy-year-old man felt that his occasional walks around the temple grounds were enough to keep him from falling apart, ignoring the vices that he had only recently abandoned. What mattered to him was that he was both mentally clear, and able enough to get around without much trouble.

“Uh... excuse me?”

A young man's voice interrupted him from his earliest duties of tending to weeds in the garden (namely, calling someone else to do it). In his experience, only two types of people showed up at this ungodly hour: the tediously dedicated,and students trying to pray for some last-minute luck. The wrinkled old man sighed internally before putting on his tranquil façade.

“Yes? How may I-?”

The instant he turned around, he could feel his heart seizing up. If he was about to be shuffled off the mortal coil, Mutatsu wasn't sure if he’d ever recover from what he saw in front of him.

Makoto Yuki.

A young lad who'd turned him around from his hedonistic slump and gotten him to reconnect with his estranged wife and son.

And who he had last heard had suddenly died two years ago.

“Okay...” The supposedly dead boy placed his hands on the monk’s shoulders to try and reassure him, but it did little to stop the feeling that he was going to keel over from shock. “Don’t panic. I've had a pretty good record so far, I'd rather not screw it up now.”

Mutatsu stammered as he tried to catch his breath. “Ma... Makoto-kun..?”

Makoto nodded, the tense situation visibly affecting him too.

“It's finally happened. My time is over and you've been sent to collect me!”

“Let me stop you right there, old man...” Makoto gently pulled him over to the nearest bench from the shrine, sitting him down before taking his own seat.

“Then what are you...” the priest trailed off muttering before the 'obvious' solution came into his mind. “Of course! You must have been dead all along! A guardian spirit sent to save me from my self-destruction! Why else would a kid like you have been in that bar?”

“Wrong again.” If nothing else, Makoto was relieved to see the priest's coherence coming back to him. “I just liked the mood.”

“Okay,” The old man's life seemed to stop flashing before his eyes “so you're not dead...” He started to rub at his chin with the length of his fat index finger. “Sent back, then? Is it to tell us those Mayans were right?”

“I'm surprised you know about that.”

Mutatsu grunted at the compliment. “I'm more than capable of studying other faiths, boy. Don't act so surprised.”

“Yeah, well if they're right, I won't know.”

“Alright, it wasn't Mayans. So you fought your way out!” The man laughed uproariously at his own assumptions. “I didn't know you had it in you, lad!”

“Sorry to disappoint, but...”

“Right, right... You'd probably catch on fire or something walking in here if you did that...” Makoto's constant refutations had the man try even harder to figure out this self-imposed puzzle. “I don't suppose you got let out on good behaviour..?”

Makoto gave a wry laugh, more like a grunt. “If it was that easy, it probably would have happened to somebody way more famous than me.”

Mutatsu let out a single, hoarse cackle. “Nah, life's way too much of a hassle for them to want to come back. Now let's see...”

The younger man held up his hand, not interested in having the poor man wrack his brain further for absurd ideas.

“So given what you're assuming, I'm guessing you got wrapped up in that little misunderstanding?” That little lie never failed to surprise him in how effective it was. “The truth is I got taken out by food poisoning. One of my friend's cooking experiments. Had me in a coma deep enough to convince the undertaker I was a goner.”

“Two whole years just cause of bad food?”

“She's a computer engineer now. I guess cooking was a bit too much art over science for her.”

Makoto felt slightly off making Fuuka one of the people set up for the fall. Luckily, Mutatsu wasn't familiar with any of his friends to begin with, so no harm done.

The monk didn't comment any further, save for some mumbling about not being able to find a husband, which Makoto found almost too amusing given the subject.

“So yeah. They were gonna throw me into the cremator before the coroner went the extra mile and saw that I wasn't dead. Once they found out, they'd already made my death official and didn't feel like giving them false hope.”

“A convenient lie to spare their feelings. I understand.”

Makoto let out what seemed like the missing link between a laugh and a sigh.

“Yeah, well that still leaves me with giving people the good news.”

“Look on the bright side, kid. If my ticker gave out, I'm sure you could've sued 'em for a mint! Given how much I'm worth, maybe you could pass that on to my family as life insurance.”

“It still would've put a sour note on this whole thing.” Makoto dismissed the grim prospect before changing the subject. “Speaking of which, how are they?”

“Well, the wife worries more about my health than I do, so too much. The lad's working towards getting a real job. Don't know what field, but he's bringing in the heavy books each year. I worry about him though. Boy probably needs himself a girlfriend.”

His vision shifts away from Makoto, despite the youth feeling his mischievous gaze leering at him.

“You wouldn't happen to know anyone who'd-..?”

“Don't even bother.”

And no one was any closer to enlightenment that day.

Yet all the same, they were happy with their lot in life.


	10. Temperance – The Longest Strand

'Dear Andre Geraux... _'_

 _Delete_.

'To Bebe... _'_

 _No_.

'So, about that-'

A frustrated hammering of the backspace key wiped the page clean.

Makoto groaned before clicking the window closed in frustration. Three late nights of trying to send this message, and the furthest he had gotten was a sentence. The young man checked the clock in the corner of his screen; a quarter past 11. He wasn't getting anywhere at this rate, and the dead silence that permeated the small office did nothing for his productivity. Throwing his head back, Makoto stared at the blank ceiling barely lit by the monitor's pale glow, feeling the sore muscles in his neck protest as they bunched up.

The past month hadn't exactly been easy for Makoto. No less than eight times, he'd had to go through an awkward reunion face-to-face with the people who had last seen him stone cold dead, or in some some cases, cremated and scattered to the winds. But this one... the impersonality of it all only made him more uncertain.

It's the same with every “why didn't you tell me” that comes up...

Makoto groaned. 'Hey, man! It's me, Makoto Yuki! I know it looked like I was dead and all, but turns out no! The undertaker just didn't care! So, how's the family?' He allowed himself a small laugh at how well his false alibi had held up to scrutiny. Probably for the best. The real wasn’t exactly the most ethical.

And now he was forced to do what he was sure would certainly end in his first failure. Bebe moving back to the other side of the world didn't leave many options open. Even worse, with video chat needing prior contact to set up, his only option was to hope that his friend would believe nothing but text, with no proof that it wasn't just some cruel joke by a complete stranger.

Makoto clicked his tongue in frustration. Looking at the world he lived in now, his problem seemed ridiculous. Everything was recorded either for posterity or out of boredom. It was certainly a far cry from two years ago, when he didn't even remember having a camera on his phone.

_Time flies when you're dead, it seems..._

The young man looked back at the screen, frowning at his own lack of progress. Of all the people he had met, why was the simplest and most instant means of communication causing this much of a hassle? Maybe it was simply due to this being the one person in his life he could truly escape from. The first person he'd reconnected with was by complete happenstance. Even if the surprise had earned him a fist to the face, the meeting had served as a real wake-up call.

_Now there's an idea..._

Makoto's vision turned downward to the edge of the desk, with both of his hands lazily hanging on by their fingertips.

_Come on, Makoto. It's not like stalling's making things any better._

Makoto jerked his right hand into his face, the sound of the smack dying in the small room. A burning sensation still in his cheek, he hunched forward and ignored the screen entirely, focussing on hammering away at the keyboard.

~

Bebe,

I don't know how to put this delicately, so I'll try to be as honest as possible. I'm not dead, the undertaker just sucked at his job.

They say I got taken out by food poisoning, but don't quote me on that. I've been awake since May and I spent three days trying to decide whether or not everyone was better off just not knowing. A run-in with Kaz (you remember him, right? Tall guy, not too bright?) showed me how much it wasn't really my choice.

I've already told pretty much everyone I know. The only reason it's taken so long is cause I couldn't think of a more direct way. A lot of the guys from Gekkoukan remember you pretty fondly, but Chihiro (glasses, not too good with crowds. She says hi) could only get me this address cause she worked in the office.

Of course, there's always the chance you don't believe any of this and think it's just a sick joke. Why someone would wait two years to pull something like that is anyone's guess, but whatever. If you don't believe me or you just didn't read this after you saw a dead guy's name in the address, I won't blame you. But if you've come this far and you still need convincing, tell me what proof you need and I'll give it to you.

You've probably moved on with your life and I'm really, really sorry I've reopened old wounds, but you were my friend and you've got a right to know.

Sorry.

Makoto Yuki

~

Makoto pushed himself back from the desk to take in what he'd just written, the wheels on Yukari’s cheap office chair hitching before spinning on through the carpet. He gave a small grunt at how dramatic some of it was, but he had to admit the situation kind of called for it.

'It's the middle of the day where he is right now, isn't it?'

He checked his computer's clock before doing some basic math in his head to confirm he was right. After a slight pause, Makoto hit the program's 'send' button to make sure his unprecedented progress wouldn't be undone by another round of him second-guessing himself. A small 'woosh' sound effect followed the successful sending, with the young man left to stare at a blank screen, contemplating what would follow before dragging himself to bed.

The following morning, Makoto pulled himself from the bed without much trouble. Yukari had been out of town, working overnight, which at the very least meant he didn't have to worry about waking her by coming to bed late. The few possessions that he had left after his death and return, living on as tragic keepsakes for a handful of friends, had long been unpacked, even with the awkward and arduous process of reconnecting with those he'd left behind being his top priority. Despite his return being pretty much out of the blue, he had managed to fit back into their lives without much fuss. Every once in a while, Makoto would wonder at exactly how big the hole he had left in each of their lives was, and what each of them had done to cover it up.

Wiping the sleep from his eyes, the young man fished his phone out of his discarded pants. It seemed that Bebe hadn't replied overnight, but everyone else in his life had more than enough news for him to wake up to: some family matters here, some work issues there... Though the highlight over the past few days was getting updates from Aigis, in the middle of touring the country with her sister.

As he made his way to the kitchen, he noticed the homework he was behind on strewn across the table. His stint off the mortal coil hadn't dulled his mind by much, but being technically two years older than his peers didn't automatically make him blaze through the work like some kind of prodigy. Junpei had the bright idea to joke about how he should have asked for the straight A's his death had ensured the rest of them.

“If anything, they'll just take away yours.” he said back to him.

As the day went on, the message to Bebe rolled into the back of Makoto's head. Just the fact that it was out of his hands was enough to seriously cut down on the time he spent suffering any kind of anxiety. No guilt over keeping secrets (within reason, at least), no fear of being discovered by an uninformed friend (something that happened rarely with informed friends to begin with), no doubt over whether he should have even come back in the first place (that doubt was long gone by this point). Even if the reply never came, Makoto could now just sit back and live his life as if he'd never left.

And when he finally received Bebe's reply, that just made life all the better. The simple, yet enlightening feeling of completeness drained the last drops of tension out of his body before even opening it. There was nothing major in the message itself. Just a link, a number and four letters:

16:00 CEST

Makoto looked at the clock. There were a few hours to go till then. He set the time in his calendar before leaving to get on with the day.


	11. Aeon – Missing Data

“So you moved into the Kirijo building?” Makoto tried to find any distinction between the dual charging stations in front of him and the one he had seen back at the old SEES dorm.

“Mitsuru-san had considered procuring me my own living space, but it was decided that it would raise too many questions.”

Aigis didn’t seem to be all that bothered with her arrangements. At least living in an office environment meant less ammo casings left all over the floor.

“... Still, you didn’t get used to living with other people?”

Makoto was trying to not be judgemental, but the Kirijo HQ lab was hauntingly sterile. The room’s quiet atmosphere was less serene and felt more like he was somehow trespassing.

The room’s ugly carpeting made it feel even less homely.

“Being Yukari-san’s roommate during our third year was extremely fulfilling, but after graduation, her contact had been... sporadic until recently.”

Makoto nodded, all too aware of Yukari’s antisocial tendencies. But that was its own issue.

“The alternative was suggested to move in with Mitsuru-san, but I felt that would not be the most authentic experience.”

“Good call.”

The pair spent a moment in silence before Makoto turned his attention to the extra chair in the room.

“So, how did you find your sister?”

“It’s a... long story. Labrys was sealed away at a defunct Kirijo facility, but was seized by hijackers during transport to headquarters.”

“Strega?”

“No. They are dead.” Aigis said bluntly. Makoto seemed mildly satisfied. “These people were somehow controlled by the entity Nyarlathotep. His plan was to use Labrys’ ability to manipulate sensory information, in the hopes that we would lose our resolve, and our Personas in the process.”

The tone with which Aigis recounted the events was surprisingly even. It would have been a cause for concern if she wasn’t visibly trying to stop her left fist from clenching.

“Then why was she taken to some town in the country?”

“It is likely that Nyarlathotep was attempting to strip both the Shadow Operatives and Narukami-kun’s Investigation Team of their Personas. To ‘kill two birds with one stone’..?”

Other groups of Persona users didn’t have the best reputation in Makoto’s experience, but he was more interested in the new group made up of his former teammates.

“What exactly are the Shadow Operatives?”

“It was an organization created by Mitsuru-san to combat issues involving Shadows.”

Aigis immediately regretted how the description came across, as Makoto’s face appeared to shatter into disappointment and confusion.

“So the Dark Hour came back?”

“No,” Aigis answered. “Shadows still exist, but, aside from the unique circumstances on the 4th in Inaba, they manifest through different means. Even without the Dark Hour, they are an inexorable force.”

Makoto felt as if he had just been told a bear had been behind him all this time and could maul him at any second.

“How do you know all this?” He asked with the scarcest bit of denial.

“It was what we learned in the Abyss of Time.”

“Right...”

Makoto thought back to what was recounted to him in the Inaba ward. The drama between the various team members aside, his sudden loss had managed to spawn not only a manifestation of regret from SEES collectively, but an unstable ‘sister’ from Aigis specifically.

Not exactly the best legacy to leave behind.

Aigis spoke up to keep her friend’s focus on the present.

“It was there that we learned that Shadows were the repressed part of a person’s heart. They are a Persona’s default state. That is why only Persona users can defeat them.”

“So Mitsuru decided to keep us together to keep fighting them even after school?”

Aigis shook her head. “It is not just the former members of SEES. It is rare, but some with the potential have been found while investigating strange events across the country.”

“How rare?”

“Considerably. Even after two years, our ranks are stretched thin.”

“Does that include people like Narukami’s team?”

“... Not precisely,” Aigis hesitated. “Despite low numbers, Mitsuru-san is reluctant to take on new recruits.”

 _Is_ _she_ _only_ _okay_ _with_ _holding back_ _when it_ _comes_ _to other people.._ _?_ Makoto thought.

“That doesn’t seem like her...” was all he said.

Aigis opened her mouth, only to pause as the words tried to escape.

“I...” she said finally, “... may be overthinking things, but she may fear taking advantage of those with potential.”

Makoto shrugged. “Makes sense...” What Mitsuru feared was the impression Yukari, and to a lesser extent, himself, had of her at first. The truth of the matter was far more complicated, but the lack of trust in those early days may have made the head Operative self-conscious.

It was rather ironic. Mitsuru had dedicated her life to atoning for all the wrongs the Kirijo Group had done, and yet that same guilt held her back when it came to making the Shadow Operatives capable of achieving that goal.

“But what do _you_ want to do, Makoto-kun?” The fact that Aigis couldn’t think of any possibilities should have clued her in to Makoto’s answer.

“I’m not sure what else there is for me to do besides joining.”

A career in the Shadow Operatives was a fulfilling one. Occupational hazards aside, members enjoyed a considerable salary, enviable benefits, as well as the best facilities one could ask for.

And yet, Aigis felt he deserved more.

“But... why?”

Her hurt expression left Makoto confused.

“Why did _you_ join?”

He said it only with curiosity, and it still cut.

“I... felt it would do the most good.”

“It was the only thing you felt you were good at?”

She knew he wasn’t really talking about her anymore, but that didn’t stop it from being an eerily familiar outlook.

“That’s... not untrue.”

Aigis didn’t notice Makoto’s surprise at her evasive language.

“I understand. Before SEES, the only thing I really got close to was this,” Makoto motioned to the headphones still hanging around his neck. “But it was always more of an escape than anything. There was never much I felt I could _do,_ I was just... a sponge... existing. Then after everything we went through, I finally...” He trailed off.

In the blink of an eye, Aigis closed the distance between them and brought her arms around Makoto’s torso.

“What..?” Makoto was caught off guard. In the past he had, some would say uncharacteristically, taken the initiative when trying to comfort someone. To be caught off guard, and by Aigis of all people...

“Yukari-san helped teach me the importance of this when a friend is in distress.”

_I’ll bet she did..._

Aigis didn’t ease up on the hug even slightly. The countless programs that made up her psyche had calculated the perfect pressure to comfort, but not constrict, leaving Makoto in one of the warmest and most comfortable situations of his life.

One he tried his best to return.

“Thanks, Aigis.”

The two friends spent minutes in each other’s arms before the anti-Shadow weapon spoke up.

“Do you remember what I asked of you back then? When I first took you to see my room?”

“... You asked me to touch your...” Makoto trailed off, with Aigis unable to see his face reddening at the implication.

“I had wanted to keep your genetic information encoded within me to provide tangible proof of our bond.”

She paused.

“Yet, after reflecting on the implications, I have come to a conclusion...”

Makoto was currently dreading the idea of having to give Aigis ‘The Talk’.

“... Even though we are two vastly different forms of life, your genetic information is permanently a part of me. I...”

Unsure of just what Aigis was getting at, Makoto decided to rip off the band aid. He broke off the hug only to hold her at arms length by her shoulders, looking her in the eye.

“It’s okay, Aigis. What are you trying to say?”

Aigis almost appeared to gulp in apprehension.

“... I am probably misunderstanding something, but this kind of marking could in some way make us considered... family?”

The word shocked him like a bullet to the chest. On the one hand, that was far from the worst interpretation one could have of that scene. On the other, what did this mean? No matter how their relationship was defined, Aigis and Makoto had always been especially important to each other in a way that compared to only a few other people. Being part of a family of choice could have been linked as far back as her joining SEES.

But to have a part of him forever be a part of her, what did that make her to him? Was there even a word that properly defined this relationship? Was she still just a good friend? Did the hand he had in her development make her his progeny in some warped sense of the word?

_Maybe..._

_a sister..?_

Without even noticing, tears began to fall from Makoto’s eyes. Something he had pushed to the back of his mind for over a decade had stepped back into the limelight. Something that had injured him so greatly, it had turned an innocent boy into an emotional cripple.

But after everything the boy had been through, it didn’t scare him as much any more.

Aigis’ reaction was one of friendly concern and terror at the idea of breaking her most important relationship.

“Makoto-kun...?”

The boy only answered by pulling Aigis back in, leaving her stunned silent and only to feel the droplets now falling on her shoulder.

“I’d be proud to call you that.” Makoto said finally, his voice hoarse.

Aigis’ heart was at peace, with the mark left on her all those years ago feeling more like a part of her than ever.

“So would I...”

The duo spent a while more before finally leaving the room. Makoto left with a connection he had once forsaken.

And Aigis contemplating how long it would be before she granted the same offer to Yukari.


	12. Universe – Your Heart, An Open Book

“So, that’s why you came here so often?”

“Mostly...” Makoto’s answer was half-hearted, as the other half was busy mourning the loss of Paulonia Mall’s photo machine.

With his return common knowledge, Makoto’s old stomping grounds were finally open to him, with the changes made over the last two years sticking out like walls of neon against the familiar businesses.

Yukari had come along as part of her first day off since going back to her job. Management had been abuzz with rumours after the workaholic had suddenly requested some time off. Some suspected burnout, others had jumped to less savoury conclusions, but none of them had any real presence in her mind.

Things had been going so smoothly for the both of them, it at times felt like a dream. After the event in the bedroom that had awakened Osiris, Makoto’s normally sullen look was subconsciously lit up by the tiniest of smiles. The change had managed to unnerve Junpei to such an extent that he finally saw fit to ask him about it.

His explanation was at least taciturn enough to sound like him, if not in tone.

“I just... feel happy” he had said with a shrug. All the uncertainty he had radiated since May had vanished, leaving just an above-average young man in its place.

One who currently had caught a glimpse of blue light that no one else could see.

Makoto’s reaction was visible enough to stop Yukari’s suggestions on where to go next, fairly certain his familiar yet apprehensive stare wasn’t directed at the potted ficus in front of them.

“You see it?” she asked.

“Yeah...” Makoto tensed, as if he was about to grab Yukari and run away from the Velvet Room forever. But he wouldn’t turn back, and there weren’t enough people around to knock against them and push him forward.

“I’ll be back in a minute” he said finally. Yukari nodded before letting him go.

Makoto couldn’t feel his legs moving as he got closer to the door. The hundreds of times he had gone through the blue portal had always had elements of an out of body experience. Check on requests, withdraw the Personas needed for the night’s mission, occasionally fuse or discard the mental pocket lint he had picked up in the lower floors of Tartarus.

Maybe deep down, he was hoping for the routine to stay intact in this new world he had awoken to. Even as the door got into arm’s reach, the old days seemed just as close.

Makoto wouldn’t even slow down as he put his hand to the door.

~

The chair he found himself in was more comfortable than he remembered.

“My... It’s been quite a while since I last set foot in this place...”

The normally still Igor took a moment to drink in the familiar surroundings of the blue elevator, with Makoto trying to keep himself from staring at his pronounced nose waving about.

The room itself seemed unchanged from the way Makoto had remembered it. The old elevator appeared inert while the various pieces of furniture against the walls were covered in sheets. It was hard to tell whether the sheets themselves were blue, or if it was just a product of the dim lighting.

As his guest kept exploring his surroundings, Igor brought the focus back to him.

“Welcome to the Velvet Room...”

Makoto fumbled with what to say. Even when climbing Tartarus, he hadn’t exactly engaged the room’s master in casual conversation.

“... Hey, Igor.”

If he was offended by the shabby greeting, it didn’t show.

“Heehee... You have certainly proven yourself to be an intriguing guest. A soul returned from beyond the mortal realm should not be possible, and yet you have returned to your world gracefully.”

“If you say so...”

Just how Igor knew about the outside world was never clear, but his information always proved accurate.

... And the one dweller who made enough trips outside to provide such information was nowhere to be seen.

“... Is it always this quiet?” Makoto finally asked. The master’s persistent grin seemed all the more knowing with his continued silence.

Makoto shrugged “I see...”

The silence persisted for almost a minute before Makoto rose from his seat.

“Good talk.”

Makoto got up and turned towards the exit, eager to escape this awkward reunion.

Only for his path to be blocked by what appeared to be a sheet covering a lamp.

A lamp that appeared to have a familiar set of blue boots at its base.

“... Yes?” Makoto asked the booted, covered lamp. Clearly it wanted something if it went out of its way to block his path.

... _Unless it had been there all this time._

_Waiting for the moment to strike..._

Makoto tore the sheet off in one swift motion, revealing a familiar woman in blue with her hands covering her face. The small hat was missing from her white bob, likely swept off with the sheet, but Elizabeth looked unchanged from when he had last seen her.

Not that Makoto had expected anything different in either appearance or behaviour from his zany elevator attendant.

Elizabeth herself seemed to be holding her breath while covering her face, like a child pretending to be invisible while trying to hide from a movement-sensing lizard-man.

“... Gotcha.”

To her credit, Elizabeth didn’t break her silence, opting instead to peek through the fingers of her right hand.

“Elizabeth..?”

The confusion of her guest appeared to be enough for Elizabeth to realize her current behaviour wasn’t working. In one swift motion, the pale woman swept up the sheet, somehow managing to fling the hat nestled within back to its rightful place on her head, and folded it neatly into an impossibly flat square, now suspended on her fingertips like a tray.

“My apologies,” she said finally, prompting an inner chuckle from Makoto. “Your sudden arrival had caught me unprepared. In truth, I had not given much thought to your return. With my own quest done, I had figured you would simply move on with your life.”

 _Right..._ Makoto thought. _Her quest._

“You thought I’d just forget about you?” He asked, trying to ignore the thought of Igor’s bloodshot eyes still looking at him.

“Not at all.” Elizabeth said about as impartially as her bubbly tone would allow. “It is a simple fact that my role as your guide had ended once you had obtained the power of the Universe.”

“That so...? Then why did you try to save me?”

Makoto hadn’t intended to sound as acerbic as he probably did, but how Elizabeth conducted herself had always confused him to some extent, and trying to understand it on his own often lead to nothing but a headache.

A slight pause before answering betrayed Elizabeth’s unflappable nature. “... Even though your contract had been fulfilled, the fact remained that you were my guest. Duties be darned, your fate was my responsibility.”

Makoto nodded. “Fair enough.”

“That said...”Elizabeth continued, her expression downcast. “I do regret the time it had taken to fulfill my quest. If I had taken less time, I may have spared you some difficulty in reforging the bonds you shared.” Makoto opened his mouth to reassure her, but she persisted. “Instead I had wandered the Earth aimlessly for two years, hoping to find your secret to connection. I had not even asked my sister for help, even before she had found a guest of her own..! I... I...”

The idea of Elizabeth bursting into tears was strange enough for Makoto to consider letting it happen for curiosity’s sake. On the other hand, the idea of such a sound coming from such an innocent and joyful woman was more likely than not going to scar him for life, and he had taken enough of those already.

“You’ve got nothing to be sorry about.” Makoto interrupted, with Elizabeth returning to her normal expression instantly. The gloomy-looking man instantly realized that he had been tricked into being the optimist in this dynamic.

_Crocodile tears? Clever girl..._

Makoto shrugged. “It was rough at first, the idea of stepping back into their lives after so long. But the more I reconnected, whether they were my friends, or even my teammates, I got to see how much each of them had grown in just two years. The real issue is...” he paused. “... it made me realize why I became friends with them.... and where I was before that...”

Elizabeth appeared more curious than worried at Makoto’s ominous tone.

“The truth is...” he struggled to say “... they gave my life meaning.”

He gulped.

“Without them, I’m nothing.”

“And without you, they are less.”

Makoto froze at the phrasing of something he could have sworn was intended to be reassuring.

_That... was mean._

“What..?”

Elizabeth waved her hand in dismissal. “Oh, not less than nothing, of course. But still diminished.”

Makoto took a deep breath. “I guess.”

“You give yourself too little credit,” she said as she produced the Persona compendium she always carried with her. “Tell me, have any of those you have encountered made a change that was not inspired by your presence?”

She lay her book open on the folded sheet, as the pages turned to reveal the image of a familiar tarot card.

“The one representing the Wheel of Fortune; what has he made of himself?”

“Keisuke?” Makoto shuffled through his memories to remember their fairly recent meeting. “He’s a medical student now.” _He might have snapped if I told him that when we first met..._

“And what of the Hierophant?”

“Retired, but their shop has a successor. Chihiro.” _Ms. Student Council President. Now that was a surprise..._

“Justice, yes. And what of Strength?”  
“Studying to be a personal trainer.” _A good idea, if she doesn’t just train Kaz for free..._

“Star?”

“Working for Mitsuru.”

“The Moon?”

“... Trying.” _I probably shouldn’t have told him it was me..._

“And what of the Sun?”

Taken aback, Makoto swallowed, before holding his head high with his understated smile.

“Still doing good in the world,” he said finally.

_That book’s going to have a long shelf life..._

Elizabeth had managed to be mildly selective. Death was a non-issue, and the relationship with the one representing The Devil was best kept as it was to avoid being exploitative.

But the point she made was irrefutable.

“Guess you’re right.” Makoto said, not sounding the least bit defeated.

With his restored purpose now stronger than ever, Makoto walked past Elizabeth to reach the exit, stopping himself before touching the door. He turned to his attendant and her master.

“You know, you can visit if you want.” His eyes drifted to Igor. “If you can...”

Igor’s expression gave Makoto a peculiar feeling of mercilessness.

“... you’re not grounded or anything, are you..?”

Elizabeth looked so giddy she could almost laugh.

“Actually, as a punishment for disregarding my duties, I had been confined to this place until my guest had returned. So in essence, it seems we have managed to save each other in turn.”

Makoto chuckled. “Glad I could help.”

“Oh, think nothing of it...” Elizabeth sang. “I had my brother Theo at my disposal to send out for Takoyaki. I only had to discipline him twice before he would stop eating his own before returning to me.”

_Well, that’s a lot to unpack._

“Right...” Makoto trailed off, now suddenly concerned for the poor sibling who had incited her wrath.

A tense moment of silence persisted before Makoto gave up on trying to make a smooth exit.

“Don’t be a stranger.”

And he willed himself back to reality.

~

Makoto craned his neck, a clear sign that his body had gotten stiff after appearing to stare off into space for a few minutes. Stretching himself out, he turned towards the fountain, expecting to see Yukari waiting for him.

Instead, he found her talking to a young man about his age, or at least what age he looked like, wearing an unfamiliar uniform.

_At least, I don’t think I’ve ever seen it before. And yet..._

Makoto made his way to the pair, making it halfway before Yukari noticed him over the boy’s shoulder.

“Oh, Makoto!” Yukari got up from the bench, rushing over to him. “Did it go alright?”

He nodded with a smile. “It went great. As usual.”

Yukari smiled at the good news, hugging him in congratulations. His reconnection was well and truly done.

“Makoto Yuki-san.”

The new boy’s voice was a low rumble, almost like if Mitsuru’s determination and willpower had been poured into a young man instead. Even the conspicuously grey hair the boy sported was more like he was cut from a block of steel than a sign of blandness. Everything about him was restrained energy and power, the true essence of manliness.

And yet, for whatever reason, Makoto felt comfortable enough to look him in the eye as an equal, able to tell at first glance that there was something indescribable that the two of them had in common.

Yukari pulled herself off Makoto to introduce the two. “Oh, right. Makoto, this is Narukami-kun. He and his group helped us in Inaba.”

Narukami humbly held up his hand. “Please, Yukari-san. If anything, your group helped us.”

Yukari blushed, while also rolling her eyes at how familiar that humility was.

Narukami extended his hand, with Makoto not noticing that he had extended his own.

“It’s nice to finally meet you, Makoto.”

The two shook without hesitation, an imperceptible part of each of them suddenly at ease.

“Likewise, Yu.”

Even Yukari didn’t bother to wonder how he knew his name.


	13. ??? - Due to the Dead

The rows of standing stones set along the neatly kept gravel path made for poor company. Makoto scanned the graveyard for any clue on where to start, noticing a dent in the sea of marble indicating a removed grave marker.

_That’s probably it..._

His vision locked on the vacated spot, Makoto dragged himself forward, the soul-crushing sensations of both shame and heartache in his stomach weighing him down. Every step closer felt like echoes across an empty room, the countless others remembered here having only enough presence for the young man to not unconsciously walk right through them.

Two more steps after the empty spot, and he finally came to a stop. A pair of graves next to a single, smaller one. Makoto’s hands shook as his fingertips rubbed against his sweating palms.

“... Hey.” He said finally.

The expected silence didn’t make this reunion any easier.

The Wild Card cleared his throat, his hand unconsciously running through his hair began to scratch at his scalp, as if trying to pry out the anxiety that clouded his mind.

“I’ve been...”

_Hiding._

“Well, you wouldn’t know this, but I’ve been dead for a while.” His scratching hand gave up, snapping down to his side while the other repeatedly clenched and unclenched in his pocket. “I had to check in with everyone when I got back, and...”

His nerves about to boil over, the young man took a long breath of the wet mid-morning air, forcing it out at a steady pace.

“I’m sorry we didn’t get to meet again... if that’s what happens.”

There was an idea. For all intents, his death only counted as such because of the time he spent away from the rest of the world. But the circumstances behind it weren’t exactly conventional. The idea that “real” death left nothing for him to talk to shook him to the core, only carrying on through sheer force of will.

Until he got to the grave next to the pair, the vacated space next to it looking like a home missing a wall.

Makoto knelt before the grave on both knees. The sight of the grave too much for him in his current state, he settled for hanging his head in renewed mourning.

“I’m so sorry...”

If only by berating himself with his own guilt, he managed to find the will to at least look at the base of the gravestone.

“You were probably so scared, and I... I couldn’t be there to help you, or even see you...”

Makoto gathered what remained of his will to not just run away in shame, forcing himself to look at the two lines of text on the smooth stone.

Hamuko Yuki

April 5th, 1992 – September 10th, 1999

The sight made his jaw start to tremble as the memories came to the forefront of his mind. The skidding, the crash, the shattered glass and twisting metal.

Their parents’ broken bodies lying limp.

Hamuko’s last moments of helpless terror as Aigis pulled him away.

Makoto shook his head. All he could do now is keep moving forward.

“What I’m trying to say is... I love you, sis. And I’m sorry it’s taken me this long to see you again...”

Tears finally began to well up in Makoto’s eyes, the admission lifting away the sensation of heaviness that had stuck with him in the days leading up to this. Allowing his family a peaceful smile, he rose to his feet, walked away and never looked back, if only to honour them by living with those in the here and now.

And as the years went by, the loneliness that tombstone signified would be washed away with coming and going generations.


End file.
